How to Go Back to Work After a Vacation
The weeks leading up to a long-awaited vacation always fill you with excitement. On the other hand, thinking about coming back to work after the vacay can sometimes feel like a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few planning tips suggested by 5-Minute Crafts, you can remove the dread of returning to work after a well-deserved break.
Before vacation
1. Delegate the tasks that can’t wait.
You could be having a good time during your vacation, but work at the office still goes on. There could be deadlines the clients asked for, and in order to fulfill those, you can assign the urgent tasks to your co-workers who can handle them. Keep them apprised of all the information they may need to deliver the work efficiently. Also, inform your boss about every delegated task to make sure that everything is taken care of.
2. Set up an auto-reply email.
It is very easy to forget about setting up an auto-reply email and voicemail. Hence, pre-schedule your vacation notice prior to your vacation in your email and phone services to save you the hassle. Also, make sure to inform folks that you will or won’t be checking messages when you’re away or providing your manager or colleagues with an alternate contact in case of emergencies.
3. Clean up before you leave.
Whether you’re working at home or at the office, your post-vacation vibes may be easily ruined when you return to a messy home. Hence, if you work at home, ensure that you do the dishes, clean the rooms, and take the trash out before you leave. If you work in an office, declutter your desk, even your email, and reply to the emails that need your urgent attention. Returning to a clean home or office after your vacation will make you feel at ease too.
During vacation
1. Unplug yourself from the chatter.
Thinking about what’s happening at work during your vacation won’t allow you to relax and make the most of your outing. So, do yourself a favor and log your mind off work. Understand that having a good time during vacation will add more gold to your work productivity later.
If there’s something urgent that needs to be addressed, make sure to define the communication schedule in the clearest way possible. You can let everyone know that you’ll be available for a certain amount of time and check updates then. In this way, you can place the work worries at bay, keep yourself informed, and have a carefree time during your break.
Returning to work after vacation
1. Give yourself a buffer day (or 2).
When you come back home, give yourself a day to return to your normal life without going hard on yourself. You can also use this buffer day to catch up on laundry, essential shopping, planning the week ahead, or just napping to overcome the jet lag. This will make your return to work much smoother.
2. Avoid overworking after your return.
You shouldn’t overload yourself with work after your return. You’re allowed to take your time to catch up with your normal routine. You can begin this by prioritizing the easier tasks first so that you get the hang of everything around you, and avoid doing difficult tasks for the week.